#non-binary characters

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate International Non-Binary People’s Day with Books by Non-Binary Authors!

Today, July 14th, is International Non-Binary People’s Day. Last year, we put together a post featuring our favorite books with non-binary characters. This year, we changed it up by highlighting books we loved written by out non-binary authors! We hope you’ll take a peek at the works we’ve listed here and other stories created by these awesome folks! The contributors to this list are: Shea Sullivan, Nina Waters, Sanne, May Barros, Shadaras, Tris Lawrence, Meera S. and two anonymous contributors.

Iron Widow (Iron Widow series) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

How to Love: A Guide to Feelings and Relationships for Everyone: A Graphic Novel by Alex Norris

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Chameleon Moon (Chameleon Moon series) by RoAnna Sylver

Gamechanger (The Bounceback series) by L.X. Beckett

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg

Foxhunt (Foxhunt series) by Rem Wigmore

An Accident of Stars (Manifold Worlds series) by Foz Meadows

A Taste of Gold and Iron (Mahisti Dynasty series) by Alexandra Rowland

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Melissa by Alex Gino

Once & Future (Once & Future series) by A.R. Capetta

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante

Soulstar (The Kingston Cycle series) by C.L. Polk

Who are YOUR favorite non-binary authors?

[canonqueercharacters]

The canon queer character of the day is:

Double Trouble from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, who is gay and non-binary.

[minsungsoftie]

Heavy is the head | Chapter 2

Jungkook and Taehyung are childhood friends who meet again by chance. They're both very pleased to find they are non-binary and connect instantaneously. When Jeongguk discovers their best friend's body in the bathtub, their world is turned upside down. Jungkook and Taehyung must work together to unravel the mystery behind it.

Chapter 2: In which Taehyung helps Jeongguk find closure, cementing the beginning of their investigation.

Pairing: Jungkook x Taehyung

Word count: 11.9k+

Tags: childhood best friends to lovers, non-binary taehyung and jungkook, asexual characters, murder mystery, college AU

Read on AO3 here

[underfiends]

Watch Me Breathe

Posting an actual story for the first time in months. The muses and I have been engaging in extreme combat and we have finally begun peace talks. Next we will band together to torment my friends with more angst. For now, have a fluff fic of yet another batch of D&D characters. Ramal is mine, Val is @hannrenn, and the DM for these two lovely dumpster fires is @peppermintpinklemonade. Hope y'all enjoy!

There’s a chill in the air; the softest of nips on an otherwise gentle breeze. A cloud shifts, golden light chasing away those cold touches, dappling ashen grey skin with a rare brush of colour. Oranges and reds bloom in the dark of closed eyelids, so much softer than the brilliant burn of flame.

A breath in, lungs filled to burst. A breath out, and with it goes a lingering tension through corded muscle. Fingers of warmth run over dark skin and chase the breeze through even darker hair. A puff of hot air against a pointed ear; a soft tap on one arm, then the other; an echo of laughter meant only for one person, only for them, just here in this moment of calm.

When their eyes open, there is only red. A red mirrored by the petals of scarlet catchfly scattered about, bundles of leaves and flowers growing on cracked boulders at the base of a rocky cliff. The hot breath and warm fingers turn into the press of hands on their shoulders, a constant companion showing that she is still here.

The wind picks up, whistling through the trees that have grown and thrived in this deep ravine between two mountains. The cold is more apparent now, raising goosebumps on their arms. They could don their leather armour, cover up to trap the heat against their skin, but it is peaceful here. The presence of an armoured warrior is not needed among the vibrant greens and browns of maple trees and buckthorn. There is no danger beneath the strangling vines twisting over wet earth.

Red eyes drift back to red petals. There is one patch of flowers close enough to touch, close enough to see the sticky hairs all up the stem. A memory floats to the surface, of a roughened voice one hot summer day.

“See those hairs, kid? They’ll sting you if you touch them, and your hand will hurt for days.” They remember Magnus had been crouched down next to a shallow riverbed, the heels of his boots dug firmly into the rocky ground as he pointed out the vibrant red flowers. Then, as if summoned through sheer outrage, a hand had smacked him upside the head.

“You idiot! That’s stinging nettle. They’re completely different, how could you have fucked that up?” Rhetta glared down at the man now rubbing his head, hands posted sharply upon her hips. Suddenly, like the flip of a switch, she looked over at them with soft eyes and a kind smile. She folded herself to hover at their height with her eyes trained on the flower. “This is a fire pink, Ramalek. Also known as a scarlet catchfly. Don’t worry, it’s safe to touch, however the stem is a bit sticky. That’s why people call it ‘catchfly’, because it catches flies on its stem and leaves to protect its nectar.” She reached out to brush against a petal, pulling it back just enough for them to see the sheen of liquid hidden in the flower. Then Magnus had said something–the words lost to time–that had left her sputtering indignantly, and the two bickered all the way back to Magnus’s tavern.

That had been years ago, back before they’d taken their new names by the blood of the slain. Before a ghost from their past had resurfaced, had turned out to be alive. Just the thought has them feeling winded and wrong-footed; as though the world is going to slip from underneath them and they’ll wake up to find it was all a dream. Panic begins to swirl just below their skin, prickling their mind. Their fingers twitch, and then a warm hand intertwines with their own, and heat presses all up their side.

A breath in, until lungs are fit to burst. A breath out, and with it the wave of panic settles.

They know where their travel companion is; the one who is a miracle. When they return, red eyes will fight off a swell of tears. The creature of dark grey skin and black hair will don their leather armour and settle back into the role of a savage beast. But for now, Valentine is off in the distance, crouched beside a small pool of algae-choked water, touching the surface every minute or so to watch the tiny tadpoles scurry away. Ramalavikfeng can stay where they are, and their armour can stay on the ground beside them.

There is no place for anything other than peace and calm here, among the green and brown and red. At the base of a cliff, backed by a forest growing in the ravine between two mountains, looking at a brilliant red flower that is close enough to touch with a sticky stem and leaves. Here, where the wind has eased back down to a gentle breeze.

There is a nip in the air. Summer is fading, and autumn is on its way. Perhaps Valentine would be willing to visit Magnus and Rhetta.

[thekimspoblog]

I write Iris as non-binary to make a point about how gender couldn't have less to do with who they are and what they represent.

Like I dunno, maybe it's problematic? But Iris is just a shapeshifter by nature. There is a "real" them, a true center they always default back to when their guard is down. But to them, both extremes of gendered presentation are basically costumes, and playing around with it is not only fun, but makes it that much harder for the authorities to catch them.

[signourneybooks]

Moonstorm | ARC Review

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway. Book: Moonstorm (Lancers 1) by Yoon Ha LeeRelease Date: June 4th 2024Tags: Sci-Fi | Space Ships | Space Colonisation | Empire | Young Adult | Queer | Non-Binary CharactersTrigger/Content Warnings: Colonisers | Mass Death | DeathOther Books By This Author I…

[kyri45]

✨The Pride Deck 2025 character illustrations by @Kyri45 !✨P.2

You can get them and support me on my store!(they are also on sale btw)

[perfumedpenguin2992]

Okay, lemme introduce Terri and Jake, roommates from San Myshuno.

[duckprintspress]

Gorgeous Merchandise to Accompany an Awesome Anthology!

It wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press crowdfunding campaign if we didn’t have super cool merchandise to accompany our spectacular anthology of outside-the-binary characters exploring aetherpunk worlds, Aether Beyond the Binary. We worked with some really awesome creators this time, and we’re so excited to share the art they’ve done and the merch we’ll be making with it!

Hologram Plant-Loving Robot Sticker: this adorable plant-watering bot graces the back cover of the wrap-around cover by Mar Spragge, and they and the plants they’re watering will sparkle and shine on this rectangular, shimmery, holographic sticker. 4 in x 4 in/10.25 cm x 10.25 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Aether Music Magic Bookmark: this lovely glossy bookmark features artwork by Pippin Peacock on the front and the signatures of the contributors to Aether Beyond the Binary on the back. 2 in x 7 in/5 cm x 17.75 cm. (Printed by UPrinting)

Aether Dux Die-Cut Sticker: it wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press anthology without a custom Dux designed by Alessa Riel. Dux is our non-binary company mascot, and for this campaign they’re decked out with crystals and machinery and ready for aether flight. 3 in x 3 in/7.5 cm x 7.5 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Non-Binary Sky Whale Enamel Pin: this lovely pin depicts a celestial whale moving through a starscape, with the non-binary gender sign dangling by a chain from they’re mouth. The artwork for this pin is by Atomic Pixies. 2 in x 2 in/5 cm x 5 cm. (Manufactured by Alchemy)

BONUS MERCHANDISE! That adorable plant-loving robot? We’ll be making it into a key chain as our Patron-exclusive extra! All $10/month and $25/month patrons who also back the campaign will get this cutie to hang from their keys!

Our campaign, which launches on December 26th 2023 (four days from when this post goes up – soooooon!) will include backer levels with all this merch, and also pick-and-choose add-on options. We’re also offering a trade paperback AND a premium hardcover edition of this book – our first anthology published as a hardcover! There’s loads of other add-ons too – our past anthologies (as e-books or in print!), a short story bundle of works by Aether Beyond the Binary contributors, 5 (FIVE!!!) of the adorable dux plushies by EmpowerFantasy Plush, one-of-a-kind wands by Alessa Riel, and more.

We’re days away from launch – follow our pre-launch page and get notified when the campaign goes live!

[alienbycomics]

Trans Characters From the Vault: Volume 4! This volume's theme is Fire and Fusion. Have some trans rep recommendations to get you through hard times!

Trans & Nonbinary Character Profiles #1

Trans & Nonbinary Character Profiles #2

Trans & Nonbinary Character Profiles #3

[minsungsoftie]

Heavy is the Head | Chapter 1

"The first thing they notice when they push open the bathroom door is the bad smell in the apartment intensifies exponentially.

The second thing they notice is the body in the bathtub."

______

Jungkook and Taehyung are childhood friends who meet again by chance. They're both very pleased to find they are non-binary and connect instantaneously. When Jeongguk discovers their best friend's body in the bathtub, their world is turned upside down. Jungkook and Taehyung must work together to unravel the mystery behind it.

Pairing: Jungkook x Taehyung

Word count: 11.9k+

Tags: childhood best friends to lovers, non-binary taehyung and jungkook, asexual characters, murder mystery, college AU

Read on AO3 here

[local-gemini]

[thewritingfairy]

↪ 0.17 The start of a never ending fight

PREV PART trigger warnings: (semi) violence, talks about wanting to die, illnesses, (past, kinda) medical + physical + emotional neglect, DRUGGING SIDE EFFECTS, anger, (light) infantilzation, tell me if I missed any! main m.list    series m.list    good ending m.list

Something is wrong, terribly wrong. You went home to confront Dick and Jason yet here you are in your bed unable to move without your sight disappearing and you basically passing out. Perhaps you should have listened to Francis, perhaps you should have gone to the hospital with them like the ambulance worker suggested. Perhaps you should have listened to your supervisor and calm down before you stormed over there.

But it doesn’t matter, you can’t change your choice.

You just need to get Duke here, perhaps he can get Alfred and Bruce of your back. Because if you hear your sperm donor tell you another bed-time story you will join your mother sooner then later. You don’t know why but you feel as if something is wrong with medication, as if the pills might be expired even though the date on them says otherwise. The American health care system isn’t known for their transparency and ethical bounds, so you wouldn’t be surprised if the company that made your medication cut corners.

There is no way Bruce messed with them right? He wouldn’t have done that… Not when he is Batman ‘protector of the weak, the dark knight’. That would be going against his moral code, right? Especially when the chemical reaction of a drug with another drug could easily kill you, your sperm donor isn’t that reckless… Right?

But then again, all of his robins started at a young age, he didn’t take you the hospital when Jason had beaten the shit out of you and he ignored how long it took for you to finally walk properly. He had refused to send you to a physical therapist that isn’t Alfred, too terrified of your injuries being reported and then his secret would have been exposed. But not the secret of how neglectful he truly was, he doesn’t really care about that one. He knows he can buy off any journalist that would even think about spreading the truth such fake news. No, even then he cared more about Batman than you.

You can’t count on Bruce having morals when he never had chosen the right path in his life as Bruce Wayne, all he has ever done as a Wayne was put up a mask and harm those around him.

You can’t trust him. Even if you know that you are being paranoid, you just can’t shake the feeling of something sinister hiding behind his eyes.

The same sinister look that you had seen on Alfred’s face so often that you no longer tensed up when you saw it. But on Bruce’s face it feels even more dangerous, it sends your whole nervous system in overdrive. But you can’t tense up, you can’t show a sign of your pain increasing because that would trigger Bruce to start coddling you.

Even more then he has already been doing.

You don’t know how late it is, but you feel as if you have been in your room for longer than a day. But you can’t read your digital clock and pulling out your burner phone would fuck up your line of communication with your friends for when you can see.

“What day is it?” you ask Bruce, swallowing your pride as you cringe at how your voice sounds. It sounds high and hoarse at the same time, it sounds painful to talk and it is. It is as if the vibrations of your voice is enhancing your headache, enhancing your pain. You know it hasn’t, it can’t be, not when you know every pain trigger and every movement that can enhance your pain as if you had gotten a guidebook when you became ill. No this has to be induced, or your illness has gotten worse.

If it did, you just hope it will finish the job.

Bruce doesn’t answer, of course he doesn’t. “Don’t worry about that,” he whispered, brushing some of your hair out of your face. “do you want to take a bath? You have been sweating quite a lot.”

You can’t believe this, but you do want to take bath. Not just to wash the sweat of you but to also get the fuck away from this man and use your burner phone. “Yes,” you say as you push yourself up, ignoring how the world spins around you and most importantly ignoring the look of pity Bruce send your way. “get out.”

Bruce scoffs; “You are not taking a bath alone, you could drown.”

You laugh, pretending to wipe away a fake tear in amusement. “I didn’t know you had humour old man,” you say, trying to look as casual as you can. “but I am taking a bath alone. I am almost an adult, I do not need daddy dearest to watch over me as I clean myself.”

“Do you want Duke to help you wash up?” He asks, clenching his hands onto the book he’s holding. He’s almost tearing the pages, he’s clearly jealous.

“No,” you spat out, rolling your eyes. “I don’t want anyone helping me bathe, you see I like this thing called privacy.”

This time Bruce laughs as you have just said the funniest thing alive. “You are lucky that you even have a door,” he hisses, his eyes narrowing but you just glare back even if you are unsure of where to look. Your mama didn’t raise someone who would just back off the second a confrontation got hard, no she raised you to be a fighter and if you have to fight you will. “you should be happy that I didn’t move you into my own room or the living room where you can be watched at all times!”

You don’t care about what Bruce things, so you push yourself off your bed as you attempt to make your expression passive. Truly, you would think you would have perfected a poker face after being ill for so many years. After hiding all you have been through, but to Bruce you look like Dick attempting to intimidate his scowl for the first time. He just can’t seem to find it threatening, even when he sees your mother’s face in yours.

“You have no say over how I should feel,” you hiss, stepping closer to him as Bruce stands up from the chair he has been sitting on. You ignore how your heart starts pounding louder when he grabs your arms hard enough to Bruce, hard enough to increase your pain. “especially when you continuously hurt me, even now.”

NEXT PART is my writing block decreasing a bit? Seems so :D

taglist (OPEN): @justsaii, @bbmgirll, @cruzerforce4256, @frank-vanderboom, @lilyalone, @mat5u0, @blackheart1454, @wisefuncherryblossom, @lingxio, @c4xcocoa

[my-midlife-crisis]

[notebooks-and-laptops]

"If we use force against our enemies, our allies will remember it": an exploration of the Archon Quest in DAtV.

Not everyone will have gotten this quest, as it's only avaliable if you saved Minrathous over Treviso. So let me start by setting the scene:

Rook has just found a secret list of Venatori plans in a Venatori vault. This includes a list of magisters who have been engaging in 'illegal slavery' and also a list of the backers of said magisters.

Dorian and Mae are arguing over how best to use this information. They have decided that one of them should become the Archon, however, they both have different ways they would go about it:

Dorian wants to 'crush our enemies by any means neccessary' - 'destory them and their networks by any means neccessary'. Maeveas describes this as 'swords and spies and blackmail; the devious means [Dorian] learned in the South'.

Mae wants to 'do this in the open. Show the people of Tevinter that we're here for them'. She wants to make this information public in order to 'inspire'.

Both will support the other, depending on what Rook decides. Both of them want to abolish slavery and get rid of the rule of Altus mages; 'the Soporati deserve a say in their own governance'. They say they have the same aims, but they would go about getting them in different ways.

Except...none of what they say actually makes any sense whatsoever.

Tevinter is Not a Democracy

Tevinter is not a demoracy. People do not 'vote' on who represents them.

Instead, there is a magesterium made up of magisters. These roles are hereditary (although you can have apprentice who take your title instead). You rule, because of your birth, or because you were lucky enough that somebody who rules because of their birth picked you.

There is not an election cycle. The magisters do not have to do anything to remain in power beyond making sure people aren't angry/scared enough to stage a coup.

Political factions exist within the magisterium, but you have to work to gain those who already are in it onto your side, you can't just get people to vote more of your faction in.

So....with this in mind, how is Mae's plan ever going to work.

Mae talks about wanting to do things out in the open. She wants to show Tevinter that politicans can be here for them. But those people...don't have a say. They can't meaningfully change things, or vote, or do anything beyond have a (probably violent) revolution.

And yet, we are led to believe that Mae's option will be the path of least resistence. Mae's option is 'working within the system'. What system? Mae won't be able to do anything, even if the public is on her side. It doesn't matter.

The magisters who are Venatori may die by the end of the game, or they may simply step down and give their titles to their children to avoid public disgrace. Maybe, maybe if people are angry enough, the heirs and apprentaces from other houses and magisters will take their place. But I don't see how Mae publishing this list of people and their backers will get her into power.

Especially in a country where slavery is legal. You know the people who would want Dorian and Maevearis's plans to succeed? Slaves. Because they're the only ones unlikely to be culturally indocronated to believe slavery is a good thing. Those a 'rung above slavery' like Krem, may also want their plans to succeed, but they'd likely have to be convinced, or have something happen to them (e.g. like how Krem's family struggled to remain in business because slaves can do their work for free so the products never cost as much) to push them into seeing all this. I highly doubt most people in this society as is would distinquish much between 'legal' and 'illegal' slavery. What even is illegal slavery? Taking people from other nations into slavery without the consent of said nations? That's most of the nations in thedas then. And if slave imports are continuing then surely everyone already knows that this is taking place and that people are arranging it.

AND EVEN IF THEY DID THERE ISN'T A DEMOCRACY FOR THEM TO VOTE MAE IN. To get Mae in, Mae has to convince the magisterium - and that includes convincing them to let her back in ON TOP OF convincing them to elect her as their ruler OR she has to have a violent overthrow backed by the people. That is the only way that 'inspiring' the people can succeed here.

Meanwhile, We have Dorian. Tarquin acts like Dorians plan will mean another Anders style chantry explosion, with things getting worse before they get better. But Dorians plan is vague to say the least. Blackmail? Okay. Working within his place in the magisterium? Now that makes more sense to me; if he can work within his place that might get him to be archon which would in turn allow him to potentially effect meaningful change from the top down with less tape around what he can and can't do.

But Mae implies Dorian is going to start killing people; 'if we use force against our enemies they will remember it'. But....what? Okay maybe Dorian plans to assassinate some people? But if he does, their kids will just get in. Maybe he just plans to threaten to assassinate people (interesting move as that's what got his father, but I think that COULD be an intersting direction for him) and that's what it means by blackmail etc. But if that's the case, is he really going to get to be Archon for long?

Dorians way looks way more like working within the system or...maybe turning the system into some of kind of dictatorship in order to make it a democracy so that Soporati can vote? Do ex-slaves get the vote in this world?

None of this makes any sense, their plans are so so so vague, and what they pitch and what they want means their pitches should be switched.

Who should be the Archon?

Towards the end of this place, Maevaris and Dorian say that a quater of the magisterium are Venatori. This is the implied quater that we have information on, and who needs to be taken out of the magisterium. But...okay, how?

In DAI, three of our companions (Vivienne, Leliana and Cassandra) are up for the role of Divine. But the reason they're up for the role despite all three of them being in some way a break with the past, is that there is nobody else. Everyone else who was up for the position died in the conclave explosion. All three of them have also gained large leaps forward in their reputation based on their actions in the inquistion.

But in DAtV....even if that quater are all killed in the final fight with the Gods, that means 75% are left over. I can see perhaps Dorian - who has maintained his seat in the Magisterium - being able to elbow himself into that power vaccum, win over the 75% and become the Achon. But Mae has been kicked out of the Magisterium already. She's lost her title. How is she going to get herself back in. As detailed above, it won't be by democracy. The Viper talks about her 'triumphent return' but nobody has actually given me a plan to get her to that triumphent return???

Basically; it makes very little sense that these two people are up for archon, even now we know the current one is dead. The archon is usually an inherrited title, either by blood or by being the apprentace of the previous Archon. The Archon can be voted in by only the magisterium if the archon dies without either of these things, however, so that's what they're going for here. But why would any of these 75% of magisters vote for Mae or Dorian?

And even if you argue that the Venatori list had the illegal dealings of more than just those 25% so Dorian and Mae could blackmail them for the position; firstly, Mae has already said she's not blackmailing anyone. So that leaves only Dorian. But the Magisters can pass their seats onto their children, instead of giving in to Dorians demands. That way even if Dorian exposes them, they're no longer in the Magisterium. Similarly, it surely is well known that the magisterium are dealing in 'illegal slavery' and surely even if it isn't, there are ways those within the Magisterium can use their money and power to pretend that they weren't involved with that. Polticians in the real world get away with these lies all the time!

Violence and Thedas

I'm not planning on making this point at length, but I do think the quote I opened this with also makes no sense for Dragon Age. 'If we use force against our enemies, our allies will remember it'.

In a game. Which is. About fighting enemies.

Like, this is a fighting game. We fight our enemies in this game. We don't sit down for tea with the Gods. We don't invite the red templars over to discuss politics. We don't ask the darkspawn if there's any way they won't do what they want.

We've been killing venatori for the WHOLE GAME by this point. We've ALREADY been using force.

I guess that the writers are trying to make a distinction between political violence vs. the rest of the game but uhhh. That doesn't really work either, especially in a game series which has had political violence pretty much at its core (we start with a game about CIVIL WAR and then move swiftly into a game where one of your companions commits an act of terrorism to inspire an overthrow of an unjust system) but also like. The implication that all groups who are bad are just 'evil' and have no motivations beyond 'power' and 'being evil' is dumb, and dragon age games used to be better than that. The Venatori, the Antam, the Crows, Butcher, Illario, The Grey Wardens, all of these people are playing with politics. Dragon Age games used to know this, they ahve a whole thing about 'the great game'.

But. Whatever. I said I wouldn't labour this point and I won't, but this quote makes no sense in a game where we've already spent the whole time using force.

(and also...isn't trying to abolish slavery perhaps a good thing to use force against? This quote implies that both the enemies (pro-slavery) and the allies (anti-slavery) have a similar moral standing which uhhhh i wouldn't say is true)

Why did this happen; some closing remarks

DAtV is vague enough about Tevinter politics that I feel you could, without knowledge of the previous games lore/the codexes believe the following points

slavery is a fringe practice in Tevinter

tevinter is a democracy

In this set of circumstances, their plans would make a lot more sense. Mae really could hope to get people on her side to vote out magisters who are engaging in 'illegal slavery' and other unmentioned things. She really could try and get elected on the promise of honesty and doing things differently, but still working within the system and eventually being Archon.

But this isn't the case. What's happening here is 21st century Demoractic (American Centric) politics are being placed onto a system which is essentially ancient Rome with absolutely no effort to try and make either confirm.

These days there are serious questions surrounding democracy, truth and lies we tell the people, whether its better to work 'behind the scenes' for a better world or not etc. These are all questions that have becoming increasingly relevant in the rise of the far right since 2016. And those who think the system need to change have MANY MANY arguments about whether we need to burn down the system, or whether we need to work within the system and with the backing of everyone to achieve our aims.

But that doesn't work in Tevinter. It doesn't mean anything.

I think the writers were trying to short hand some contempary politics into this world, were purposely vague about the parts of tevinter that don't fit that mould, tried to act like slavery was some form of modern discrimination that can be easily brushed to one side, and then just...released the game like that, with this choice.

But thinking about it for more than 5 seconds makes it SO STUPID. I literally spent ALL of that cutscene going 'wait what??? huh???' i watched it back three times before I understood what they were doing and why Mae and Dorians views were supposed to make sense before I wrote this post.

Another example of the writers not taking established lore/politics/culture in this game seriously. Another example of this game not taking its setting into account. I just. Yeah. This one really pushes me.

td;lr this storyline about who is the future archon doesn't work because Tevinter is not a democracy and they don't actually take into account the political implications, nor lay out actual political plans on how they'd achieve their aims.

[yourfaveisintersex]

Stevonnie from Steven Universe is canonically intersex, non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns!